- – Indeed, this is an important meeting, but I am in Warsaw today. There are many reasons for this, including health reasons, Rao said in Pulsat
- — Our relations with Ukraine boil down to the fact that we fulfill all our previous obligations of a military, political, etc. nature — stressed the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Rao was also asked whether the absence of Polish representatives from Zelensky’s meeting with arms companies was also due to “backsliding”, to which he replied: “I’m not sure, but I don’t rule it out.”
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A meeting of European Union foreign ministers began in Kiev on Monday, and they will discuss support for Ukraine, which is fighting Russian aggression, and the peace formula put forward by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Poland is represented at the meeting by Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wojciech Gerwel.
When asked why he was not in Kiev to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting, Rao replied: – Actually, it is an important meeting, but I am in Warsaw today. There are many reasons for this, including health reasons. But above all, it results from the fact that in politics, including bilateral relations, between different countries, we have periods of economic boom and bust – answered the head of the Foreign Ministry. He stressed – At the moment, when it comes to relations between Poland and Ukraine, we are entering into a period of economic decline and my absence is a partial expression of that.
Zbigniew Rau: The three dimensions are important in relations between countries
The Foreign Minister was asked whether his absence from the meeting in Kiev was in retaliation for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s words at the UN General Assembly that some EU countries feigned solidarity while indirectly supporting Russia.
Rao replied: “I cannot call it revenge, but in relations between countries there are three important dimensions.” As he explained, “The first is the strategic and geopolitical dimension – whether these countries have common interests.” The minister added: We certainly have a common strategic interest with Ukraine, which is stopping Russian imperialism.
The second dimension, he explained, “is the current national interests, and here we have divergent interests, including misunderstandings regarding the transit of Ukrainian grain through Poland.”
– The third matter: Foreign policy can be pursued permanently and stably when it has the support of society. The head of Polish diplomacy noted that this is indispensable in a democratic system.
In his opinion, “the incident of transferring the industrial dispute to the international forum, to the extent that it happened – at the UN General Assembly meeting, aroused the confidence of our society in the current policy of the Ukrainian government towards Poland.” To be shaken, to say the least.”
When asked whether Deputy Minister Gerwel’s rank was not too low to allow him to participate in the meeting in Kiev, Rao replied that his “rank is not too low at all for this situation.” He pointed out that “in addition to Minister Gerwel, there are also three other deputy ministers.”
– Our relations with Ukraine boil down to the fact that we fulfill all our previous obligations of a military, political, etc. nature, including all those resulting from our membership in NATO – the head of the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
Rao: I will not disturb the Ukrainian authorities
Earlier, on Saturday, a defense industries forum was held in Kiev. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the meeting was attended by representatives of more than 250 companies from 30 countries in Europe, North America and Asia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev stated that the Defense Industries Alliance was created during the forum and that 38 companies from 19 countries joined this initiative.
The head of the Foreign Ministry was asked whether the absence of Polish representatives from the meeting of the President of Ukraine with arms companies was also due to the “drop”, and he replied: “I am not sure about that, but I will not do that.” “That is ruled out.”
When asked if this meant a crisis in Polish-Ukrainian relations, the head of the Foreign Ministry stressed that he would like the crisis not to be a crisis. — To get back to the starting point, it will take tremendous efforts. I will not advise the Ukrainian authorities what to do. Our relationship is long and comprehensive. Rao said that the Ukrainian side would certainly find a solution if there was such a will on its part.
